


Changing Tides

by Mice



Series: Sea Change [15]
Category: World of Warcraft
Genre: Conspiracy Theories, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Found Family, M/M, The Scarlet Brotherhood, guys being romantic at each other, not your average marriage proposal, political scheming, tabloid intervention, the crew of the Bold Arva - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-09
Updated: 2020-10-12
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:15:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26917951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mice/pseuds/Mice
Summary: While Mathias slowly recovers from his injuries, life gets very, very strange.
Relationships: Flynn Fairwind/Mathias Shaw
Series: Sea Change [15]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1875685
Comments: 77
Kudos: 72





	1. Visitations

Renzik found him when he was at the market, trying to decide what might tempt Mathias to eat a little more. The continuing pain had caused his matelot to lose his appetite and the healers had firmly instructed Flynn that Mathias needed to build up his strength again. "Fairwind, I really need to talk to Shaw."

Flynn sighed and rolled his eyes, looking to the sky for some kind of mercy. "He's not supposed to be working, Shiv." He looked down at the goblin. "He's still in a lot of pain and keeps denying it, and he's barely eating right now. It hasn't even been three whole weeks since he nearly _died_ and you want him working again?"

"Not working, but there's some stuff he's gonna want to know, and I don't want to keep it from him." Renzik looked genuinely anxious. Flynn shook his head and turned back to the merchant.

"I need some onions," he said. "The yellow ones. And while we're at it, give me a sack of potatoes, too." He looked down at Renzik. "He's really not doing that well today. If you insist on it, can you at least wait a couple of days? I promise, I'll let you know when he's feeling well enough to cope with other people. I took him down to the _Arva_ a couple of days ago and, while he enjoyed himself, it was too much for him and pushed him too far. He needs a little time to recover from that first."

The goblin at least had the grace to look vaguely embarrassed. "Okay, but I mean it. He needs to hear this stuff. He'll be angry if he doesn't."

Flynn sighed and nodded. "I'll let him know, then I'll let you know. But I do have a question for you." He took the onions and potatoes from the merchant and paid for them, moving along to another vegetable stand.

Renzik tilted his head, following him. "What's that?"

"I lost track of it in the chaos after Mathias got hurt, but what did you ever end up doing with Frostprow?"

"Ah, her." Renzik huffed. "We recruited her. She's got some useful knowledge, and it'll go a long way toward workin' off what she was doing as a freebooter."

Flynn nodded. "Fair enough. I suppose that's what I'm doing these days."

"Nah, I think you paid that off a while ago. Now you're just one of us."

Flynn eyed him. "I'm a sailor." He wasn't a spy, not really. He looked at the piles of different kinds of mushrooms and sighed. "Maybe I should try making some mainlander food. Might be a little more tempting for him, but I don't know that many recipes for them."

"You know there's places in town you can learn some, right?" Renzik stood there with his arms crossed, tapping one foot on the ground.

"I should do that." Flynn fretted for a moment before he decided it was too much for him right then. "But not right now. Look, I need to get back to Mathias, Shiv. I don't want to leave him alone for too long right now. I mean, yeah, he gets cranky if he thinks I'm hovering, but I think I've got a right to hover for a little longer."

"I'll leave ya alone," the goblin said, "but you need to tell me when I can come by as soon as possible."

"Right. Lovely. Go." Flynn shooed him away, and Renzik left.

Mathias was asleep when Flynn got home. That was good. If he was sleeping, that meant the pain was manageable, and that he was getting some rest. He put things away and started working on a beef stew for later. He sliced and chopped and sauteed things before he started the broth. Flynn reached for the aromatic fish oil but hesitated, then decided against it. Mathias had never objected to Flynn's use of the stuff, but he also regarded it as a bit strange in some things. Really, it was more of a comfort thing for Flynn than anything else. Yeah, no fish oil in the beef stew. He tossed in a handful of mixed stewing herbs instead.

Soon enough, the stew was bubbling quietly, the scent filling the room, and Flynn settled on the sofa with the latest Steamy Romance Novel. He wondered if Joluun would show up in it and chuckled as he flipped through to where he'd left off.

When a soft tapping sounded at the door, Flynn dropped the novel on the table, face down and open to where he'd been reading. He muttered dimly to himself as he went to the door. He jerked it open. "Damn it, Shiv, I told--"

It wasn't Renzik. Flynn blinked. "Your Ma--"

Anduin, dressed in commoner's clothes and accompanied by a couple of his guards, also in common clothes, asked, "May I come in?"

Flynn spluttered and let the King enter. Anduin gestured at his guards to wait outside the door at the top of the stairs. "Um… can I make you some coffee? Or tea? Or something?" He closed the door behind him, keeping his voice down. He went to close the bedroom door so their conversation wouldn't wake Mathias.

"I'd appreciate some tea, thank you."

"Is something wrong?" Flynn asked. He pulled out a teapot, put water on for the tea, and rummaged around for mugs and the tea leaves.

Anduin looked around the little flat, his eyes falling on the wedding cup that Baine Bloodhoof had given to Mathias. "No, nothing's wrong." He looked at Flynn. "I get updated reports from time to time, but I was hoping I might be able to see how Mathias is doing for myself."

"He's asleep. He's… well, he's been in a lot of pain. It's getting better, but it's slow. You know how it is."

Anduin nodded and sat at the little kitchen table. "I'm sorry if I've come at an inconvenient time."

"It's okay." Flynn shrugged. "He'll probably be up soon anyway." He poked through the things in the cupboard and found a tin of biscuits, putting a few on a plate and setting them on the table. "And I can't imagine that you have a lot of time to spare for the likes of us. All that kingly stuff you have to be doing, and all."

"You know that both of you matter to me, don't you, Flynn?"

Flynn sighed. "Him? Yeah, of course he would. Me? If you say so." He wasn't going to call the High King a liar to his face. The water was boiling, so Flynn turned his attention to that, pouring it into the teapot. He let it steep for a couple of minutes then poured the mugs. He set Anduin's on the table, then poured two more and took them to the guards just outside the door. "Here you go, lads. Just set the mugs by the door when you're done, I'll pick them up when Himself decides it's time to go."

"Thanks, Fairwind," one of them said, and the other echoed the words. Flynn closed the door and got his own tea.

Anduin sipped at his tea as Flynn came to sit with him. "Mathias is a friend now. I hope that you would consider yourself one, as well."

"It's… a little odd, is all. You being the High King and me just some common bloke who came from nothing and got mixed up with your Spymaster." Flynn wasn't sure where this was going, but he figured it was best to just let it happen.

"You know that doesn't matter to me, right? Your origins, your station in life; that's not actually relevant between us, not when I'm not acting officially. I've known Mathias my whole life. For most of that time, it's been an uneasy relationship at best but, since he met you, things have changed. He's changed. And I look back on what I used to think of him, how I'd thought of him as just a reluctantly used weapon, the bearer of bad news, and I see the injustice I did to him, not knowing any better. Everything he's done, it's been for my benefit, and to protect the Alliance, so I owe him -- and you -- more than just my thanks and my favor. You're the one who finally let me see him as a man, not a shadow, Flynn. Don't you think that's worthy of my friendship?"

Flynn held his mug between his hands, the steam rising into his face, and he looked at Anduin. "I guess it is." Anything that would let Anduin think better of Mathias was good, as far as Flynn was concerned. "Still feels a bit odd to think of it, though."

Anduin smiled. "I suppose that's fair."

Flynn got up to stir the stew. He heard a bit of stirring in the bedroom as well. "I think Mathias is waking up. I should let him know you're here." Anduin nodded at him and Flynn entered the bedroom quietly. "Hey, love," he murmured. Mathias rolled over with a quiet sound of discomfort. "Anduin's showed up. Nothing bad, he just wants to see how you are."

Mathias's green eyes blinked open. "He's here?" His voice was still rough with sleep.

"Yeah, I gave him some tea. There's guards outside the door, don't worry. He's not in his court stuff, just in commoner clothes. Do you want help with anything?"

Mathias shook his head. "No, I'll be fine. Just give me a couple of minutes to get dressed."

Flynn sat on the bed by his hip as Mathias sat, and hugged him. "Take your time. Looks like he's settled in for a bit." Mathias stretched carefully and yawned. "You need anything for the pain?" Flynn asked.

"No, but thanks."

"Ran into Shiv while I was out at the market today, by the way. He wants to come by and see you, too, but it sounded like a work thing. I told him I'd let him know when you were feeling well enough, but he was pretty insistent that you'd want to hear whatever it was."

Mathias nodded as he got to his feet. "Tomorrow afternoon. Might as well get whatever it is over with."

"Right. I'll let you get dressed, then." Flynn kissed him and went back to the main room to join Anduin. "He'll be out in a couple of minutes." He put some coffee on for Mathias.

Anduin was nibbling on a biscuit when Flynn turned his attention back to him. "Is he all right?"

Flynn nodded. "Better, now he's slept some."

Mathias emerged a moment later, dressed but barefoot; he was scruffy and unshaven, though he'd made sure his mustache was waxed. He was always a little vain about it; Flynn found it kind of adorable. "Anduin."

"Mathias. It's good to see you on your feet."

Flynn poured the coffee and took it to him, slipping an arm around him. Mathias rested his head on Flynn's shoulder, both arms around him. "Coffee, love," Flynn murmured.

"Mmm. Thanks." They shared a soft kiss before Flynn handed him his mug. Mathias sat on the sofa with the coffee; the sofa was more comfortable than the chairs at the table. Flynn sat next to him and rested an arm over his shoulders.

Anduin had a fond little smile on his face when Flynn looked up at him. "I came to see how you are," he said, "but also to tell you that things with Genn have eased up. When the situation with Lord Romano happened--"

"When Lord Romano tried to assassinate my matelot, you mean?" Mathias growled, bristling as he leaned forward on the sofa. Flynn rubbed his back, trying to get him to calm down again.

Anduin nodded. "Genn finally realized that some of what was happening was nothing more than manipulation. He said that a good deal of his anger over what happened with the treasury was more about not having been initially consulted than anything else."

Mathias sighed and closed his eyes. He leaned back again, his head dropping onto the back of the couch. "It's not like we had a lot of time, and the more people who knew, the riskier it would be."

"I agree," Anduin said, "though I can understand his being annoyed by it."

"He didn't have to spend all this time trying to undermine Mathias because of it, though," Flynn grumbled.

"He doesn't always think things through," Mathias said.

"I just wanted to let you know that he's not baying for your head anymore. When he realized what had been happening, and why Romano and the House of Nobles had been agitating against you, he took a step back. I think he's seeing some of the bigger picture now, how some of them have been pushing against non-humans generally, and against the Gilneans and Kul Tirans -- and those they see as sympathizing. Like you." Anduin gestured, indicating both of them, and their relationship.

Flynn sighed. "I know how much trouble Mathias taking up with me has caused him."

"Flynn--" Mathias started.

Flynn turned to him. "I have a right to be upset with those scurvy bastards. They're making it hard for everyone. It's not just us. And I don't like how they roped Greymane into their political mess." He turned back to Anduin. "I'm glad the old wolf's pulled his head out of his ass."

Anduin laughed. "I'll let him know you said so, though not in those words, if you don't mind."

Flynn shrugged and smiled. "Probably for the best, that."

Anduin finished his tea. "Mathias."

"Yes?"

"Flynn says you're still in a fair bit of pain. If you'll allow, I can do some more work on you. It would help." He tilted his head slightly, looking at Mathias for permission.

Mathias took a deep breath. He flinched and hissed. With a sigh, he nodded. "I think that would be a good idea."

"Thank you." Anduin rose and came to the sofa, kneeling in front of Mathias. He looked so young, Flynn thought. Poor kid had so much responsibility. Anduin rested his hands on Mathias's chest, and Flynn moved his arm and shifted away slightly so that he'd not be in their way. "Just relax," Anduin said, his voice quiet. A moment later, a gentle glow started to suffuse around his hands, and Mathias made a soft sound and took a deep breath, his eyes closed. They stayed like that for several minutes, with Mathias growing more and more relaxed, muscles loosening, his breathing easing. Soon, he was slumped against the back of the sofa, sleeping. "That should help," Anduin whispered. He looked up at Flynn. "Let him sleep as long as he needs to."

Flynn nodded and they both got to their feet. "I'll get a blanket for him."

"I should go. I have a great deal still to do today, but thank you for letting me in."

"It's all right," Flynn said. "I appreciate it, Anduin." It felt strange, saying it to the King's face. "So does he, I'm sure."

He saw Aunduin out, picking up the mugs that his guards had left near the door, and went back to cover Mathias with a blanket. He stirred the stew again. He wondered when this sort of thing had become normal for him.

***

Renzik arrived the next afternoon with some recipes for Flynn, of all things. He spoke to Mathias with a strange mix of hesitance and insistence, saying that he'd brought something for him, far more important than Flynn's recipes. Mathias was tired but, after Anduin's visit yesterday, at least the pain had backed off for a while. He did feel better, and he'd slept the night through without the pain waking him. Flynn hovered nearby, protective and alert.

"What have you brought me, Shiv?"

The goblin was seated at their kitchen table, looking around at the place, never having been to this location before. "Some crazy shit that I brought to Wrynn last night. It's about him and Greymane, and we found it in Romano's desk. I think it explains some of what's been going on with the House of Nobles lately." Renzik tugged a pamphlet out of his belt pouch and set it on the table, sliding it across to Mathias.

Mathias looked at it, reading it over quickly. He covered his face with one hand. "The Scarlet Brotherhood?" He sighed. "Just what we needed."

"Who's the Scarlet Brotherhood?" Flynn asked. 

"Human supremacists," Mathias said. "They think the human kingdoms should be for humans alone. Lordaeron, specifically, but the Eastern Kingdoms in general. They hate the worgens and, by extension, the Gilneans and they're rabidly anti-Forsaken. I imagine they're not terribly supportive of the Kul Tirans, either."

Flynn's brow wrinkled. "Well, if they're anti-Gilnean, what were they doing courting Greymane?"

Mathias shook his head and sighed. "Just… here, I'll summarize the salient points." He picked up the paper and skimmed it again. "They think for some reason that Anduin is a traitor to humanity. They want him removed and replaced with Greymane, who will go after Sylvanas because they apparently don't believe Anduin is doing so. And after Greymane has wiped out the Forsaken, they'll eliminate him and the rest of the worgens and, apparently, drive out all the people they don't consider sufficiently human from Lordaeron."

Flynn gaped. "Excuse me, _what?_ That doesn't make any sense!" He snagged the pamphlet from Mathias and read it himself, his eyes getting wider the further he got. "This makes even less sense than your summary," he muttered.

Mathias turned to Renzik. "Does Greymane know about this? It's treasonous. This is insane. It poses a danger to the entire Alliance. If it was part of what was poisoning Romano--"

Renzik shrugged. "I took it to Wrynn, who said he'd tell Greymane. I think we're gonna have to check out the House of Nobles to see who's got the brain rot from this crap."

Mathias nodded, suddenly exhausted. "I concur. This is…" He rubbed at his chest. It ached again.

"Hey, boss, take it easy. We'll look at who was whispering in Greymane's ear, who was close to Romano, figure it out from there. But I wanted you to know what was going on, because it obviously had to do with you and Fairwind personally. You know you'd have been pissed if I hadn't brought it to you."

"I need to know--"

Renzik interrupted him, one finger in the air. "No. You don't. You already look like you've been punched, just looking at this. You needed to know, but you do _not_ need to be going over it all or giving the orders or following this on the daily. That's _my_ job and, may I remind you, you've been trusting me to do this stuff for years now. _Your_ job is to get better. I kept you in the loop so you wouldn't have a meltdown when you finally did find out about it."

Mathias's shoulders slumped. He leaned one elbow on the table, head resting in his palm. Renzik was right. He nodded. "Okay. You have a point."

Flynn was at his shoulder, one hand on the back of Mathias's neck, warm and steadying. "He's right, love. It's Shiv's job, and Rell's right now. They'll take care of it. And I'll take care of you." He could feel Flynn turn slightly, facing Renzik. "And that means that you've told him what you needed to, and it's time to go. Feel free to come by, but _don't_ bring work again until the healers have cleared him, okay?"

Mathias looked up and Renzik nodded and picked up the pamphlet again, tucking it back into his bag. "Gotcha. I'll be on my way." He jerked a thumb at the door then got up and headed off. "I'll send Nightwind by in a couple of days to check in on you two. I'd be neglectin' my duties if I didn't check up on you every so often."

Flynn shooed him out the door and locked it behind him. "You do look pretty rough, Mathias. You've been up most of the day and--"

"Flynn." Light, he was so tired.

"What?"

"I know." Mathias buried his face in both hands, feeling like utter shit. "I hate it, but I know. I should go lie down."

Flynn hesitated before he spoke. "Do you… would you like me to come with you for a while?"

Mathias nodded. "Please."

Flynn's fingers slid through Mathias's hair and down his neck and shoulder until his hand was resting under one elbow, carefully urging him to his feet. "Right, then. Come on." Mathias rose and put an arm over Flynn's shoulders. Flynn's arm tucked around his waist, offering him gentle support as they made their way to the bedroom. If Mathias weren't so easily exhausted, he'd have resisted more, but everything seemed like so much effort. His chest ached. Lying down with Flynn's warm arms around him, that would help. It always seemed to.


	2. Found Family

Yun dropped by with food for them the next day. It was still hot, and it smelled fantastic. "That's generous, mate, thanks," Flynn said. His stomach growled as he let Yun in.

"I thought you might like a break from cooking," Yun said. He looked over at Mathias, who sat on the sofa with a book. "How are you feeling today, Shaw?"

"Not too bad," Mathias said, though his eyes tightened a bit when he got to his feet.

Flynn took the containers from Yun and said, "Sit down, I'll make you some green tea."

Yun smiled. "I would appreciate that, thank you." He sat at the table. "Sonya said to let you know that we're sailing tomorrow. We should be gone for about four days. It's just a quick trip down the coast."

Flynn nodded as he put the water on, and Mathias sat at the table. "Hungry, love?" 

Mathias nodded. "Yes, please. It smells wonderful." Flynn smiled because Mathias had been eating a bit better since Anduin had been there. Less pain was good. Flynn got out some plates. 

"You going to stay and eat with us, Yun, or do you need to head back to the _Arva_ right away?"

"I can stay for tea and a little lunch, thank you."

Flynn chuckled. "Don't thank _me,_ you're the one who brought lunch."

"It's my pleasure," Yun said. "It is good to see you both. We miss you." He turned to Mathias. "I hope, when we're back in port, that you'll come down to join us again. I know the weather has grown colder, what with Winter's Veil approaching, but it would do everyone good to see that you're improving."

And that led Flynn to thinking about what he wanted to do about the holiday. Not that he'd generally celebrated them in his life, but still. Things were different now. Maybe there was room in his life for holidays.

"I'd like that," Mathias responded. "Last time, it was just too soon. I'm doing better now."

"It was days before he was up and about again, after going down to the _Arva,_ " Flynn said, dishing up the food Yun had brought. He carried plates to the table for the two of them, poured hot water on the tea leaves in the pot, and then brought his plate and the pot to the table. He got cups for the tea before he sat down himself.

Mathias looked a little uneasy at Flynn mentioning it, but said nothing. Yun pulled a pair of sticks from a pouch on his belt and started in on his plate. Flynn and Mathias ate as well. "Do you have plans for Winter's Veil?" Yun asked, sipping some tea.

"Not as yet," Flynn said. He looked at Mathias, who shrugged. "Never had any particular reason to celebrate any of the holidays, not since I was just a guppy," Flynn said.

"Well," Yun continued, "the crew has been making some plans. Nothing certain yet, but a family like ours," Yun made a gesture that included them and those absent, "should celebrate together, don't you think?"

Mathias looked thoughtful. "You want me to be a part of that?"

Yun looked at him, one eyebrow raised. "Why would we not? We've told you before, you're one of us. We keep hoping you'll accept that."

Mathias looked down at his plate. "No one's ever…" He shook his head and looked back up. Flynn reached out and lay a hand over his wrist. "Thank you."

Flynn nodded to Yun. "Tell the crew we'd be happy to go along with whatever you lot end up planning. I'm just not sure either of us have ever had what anybody would consider a proper Winter's Veil. I know I haven't. Not sure what anybody will be wanting from us." Flynn remembered some shabby decorations when he was a kid, when his mother was still alive, but there'd never been very much. He thought maybe once she gave him a gift. He was pretty sure gifts were supposed to be part of it.

"Oh, don't worry," Yun said, smiling. "If you're not familiar with it, we'll show you. That is what family is for, isn't it?"

"So I hear," Flynn said. Mathias just sat there, watching the two of them. He seemed a little wobbly, though Flynn wasn't certain why. Maybe it was the family thing. He'd talked to Flynn a couple of times about his grandmother and, as far as Flynn could tell, she hadn't been what anybody would consider exactly the nurturing type. The brainwashing type, maybe. So even though Mathias had technically _had_ more family than Flynn, he wasn't sure he was better off for it.

The three of them talked for a while longer about not much in particular. Yun assured them that he or someone else in the crew would let them know when their Winter's Veil plans were set and that, yes, gifts were actually traditional, but not to worry about it too much. When the pandaren took his leave, it was with a hug for each of them, and then his usual bow just before he ducked out the door. "We'll see you when the _Arva_ is back in Stormwind," he said, cheerful, and he left.

Mathias had planted himself on the sofa under a blanket, arms tucked around himself, by the time Flynn turned from the door. "What's bothering you, love?" Flynn went to sit with him.

Mathias sighed and shook his head. "Just… not sure how to handle all of this, really. The idea of family. What it all means. I don't even know what it is or what to do with it." He looked up at Flynn. "People aren't kind to me, Flynn -- aside from you, anyway. Friends… I've barely had any; two I can think of, and both dead now. I have coworkers. I have agents. I have people who give me orders." He sat for a moment and Flynn waited. "Now, suddenly, I have a lover. I have people who say that they're my friends, and my family, and… I don't know. Sometimes it feels like too much. Like I don't deserve any of it."

With a sigh, Flynn leaned himself into the corner of the sofa and opened his arms to Mathias. "Come here." Mathias shifted and tucked himself into Flynn's arms, settling between his legs and curling up against his chest. He rested his head on Flynn's shoulder. Flynn kissed his head. "You do deserve friends, Mathias. And if the crew has decided you're family, who are you to argue with them? It's what happens when you fall in with folks who take care of each other. The _Arva's_ a closer crew than most, but I did my best to find people I thought would work well together."

Mathias made an undecided noise.

"Life's not been particularly kind to either of us, I know. It's weird when things finally start to go your way. I'm always expecting everything to be taken away from me, really. Like I nearly lost you." He held Mathias close.

"You're not alone in that." Mathias uncurled one arm and ran his hand slowly down Flynn's chest to his abdomen, where the scar was.

"So yeah," Flynn said, "it's a bit strange for both of us, but there are people willing to give us a chance. Maybe we should let them." He really wanted to let them. He wanted to belong somewhere, to belong _with_ people. With Mathias, yes, but with others, as well, as something closer than just a crew. He'd walked away from freebooting, hoping to find a new life, and it was starting to look like he'd actually found one. One that wasn't just hiding, or running, or looking over his shoulder, bluffing his way through it all with a laugh and a random fuck and a drink in his hand.

Mathias lay in his arms, quiet, for a long time. It seemed to Flynn that he was thinking, so it was best not to disturb him. Neither of them spoke, but they held each other close.

"There's… something I wanted to ask you about," Mathias said, finally.

"What's that?"

"You remember the day I came home from the Healer's Hall? We were talking, and you told me that Romano had tried to kill you." Flynn nodded. "We'd been talking about something else, but that completely shut the discussion down. I was so angry about what Romano had done, I didn't have the focus to think about anything else."

"Didn't really mean to do that to you," Flynn said. He remembered the discussion, remembered his questions. "But the question's still there. What would make this real for you?"

Mathias didn't look up at him. "You asked if I wanted to marry you, if that would do it. If what we already had wasn't enough." Flynn nodded and made a sound of agreement. "It's complicated," Mathias said. "We both know it is."

"I know," Flynn murmured. "So much of your life is wrapped up in politics, even when you're in the shadows."

"It is. And that's part of why I'd never asked. Because I never wanted this to be about politics. But it turns out that, no matter what we do, that still has to be taken into account. And I don't want you to feel that what we have with each other is less important than the parts of my life that require playing to it."

It was a reasonable fear, Flynn thought. If it was only politics, there would always be questions between them. What was Mathias gaining by being with him? What was he losing? How would it hurt them? "Okay, so we both know all that has to be considered. What are you thinking? I know you were worried that you being older than me was an issue, but it's not. Sure, I _could_ find someone else if I wanted, but I don't want to. I spent my life hopping from bed to bed for a lot of reasons, but I have you, now. Those reasons just don't apply anymore."

"Some people will always think you're with me to find some kind of legitimacy."

"Some people can go fuck themselves with a bowsprit," Flynn grumbled. Mathias chuckled. 

"There will be those who object to us being together no matter what we do," Mathias said.

"Bowsprit." Flynn shrugged. "But what do _you_ want?"

Mathias looked up at him. "I want to marry you. I want this to be real in the eyes of the political authorities that I have to deal with on a daily basis. I want you to feel like you have the same legitimacy as anyone else in the Alliance -- fuck people's expectations about your origins and your past. And I want to be able stand in front of everyone and tell them that you and I are committed to each other, that we're together. I want you to wear my ring, and I'll wear yours." He took a deep, shaky breath. "And if we have people who say that they're our family, I want them there to witness that. For _once_ in my life, I want people to be happy for me. Happy that I've found someone to love, who loves me. I was so sick of being alone, Flynn. I never want to go back to that."

Flynn's heart was rattling in his chest, and he tilted his head down and kissed Mathias, who kissed back with what felt like desperation. They held each other, and Flynn said, "Okay, so that's settled. You'll never have to be alone again while I'm still breathing, I promise. What do we need to do to make it happen?"

"I think the next question really ought to be, what do _you_ want, Flynn?"

Flynn sighed. He brushed copper hair back from Mathias's forehead with gentle fingers. "You. I want you. Not Spymaster Shaw. Not the King's Dagger in the Dark. Not the politics and the position, though I know I'm getting all of that, too, and nothing either of us does can change that. I mean, I'd like a little of my own dignity to go with it all but, really? I want Mathias Shaw, the man. Mathias, the bloke who loves me. My love and my lover, with a wicked smile and humor sharp as a razor and a kiss that makes my heart want to stop in my chest. I want you with me, always. To the end of our days. Does that work for you? Because it works for me."

"It does." Mathias smiled, serious but pleased.

"So, like I said, how do we make it happen?"

Mathias thought for a moment. "I'll have to tell Anduin, before anything else. Before anyone else. After that, Renzik and Rell. This is going to be more complicated than just telling everyone we're getting married and then having a ceremony. Because of the politics, it's going to have to be a lot more visible than I'd like. I just… will you really be okay with this? Is this what you want? Are you willing to go through with it, even if it's big and public?"

Flynn nodded. "Whatever it takes, love. I am. Absolutely. Once it's done, maybe people will finally leave us alone, though I admit I have my doubts about that. In the end, we'll be together, and that's what counts. More than anything else, that's what counts."

Mathias pushed his way up the sofa on one elbow and kissed Flynn fiercely, both arms around him now. Flynn held him close, kissing back with everything in him, hands tracing up and down Mathias's back. Mathias moaned into his mouth, breathless.

"Is this going where I think this is going?" Flynn murmured, his lips moving against Mathias's. "Because if it is, we really ought to move to the bed. I don't want the first time since you were hurt to be on the sofa, and one of us hurting you because there's not enough room."

Mathias, a little breathless, nodded. He lifted himself up a bit and sat, and Flynn got to his feet, offering Mathias his hand. His lover took it and rose with him; they embraced and held one another close, bodies warm and solid against each other. Flynn thought about asking if Mathias was actually up to this but decided it was best to just trust him to know what he wanted, and what he needed. He knew if things hurt too much, Mathias would let him know.

They kissed again like that, body to body, and Flynn couldn't help the small, content sound he made. One hand traced its way down Mathias's back to the curve of his ass and Flynn held him like that, pressing them gently together. Mathias's tongue sought his and they both breathed into it. It had been weeks, and Flynn hadn't dared start anything for fear of hurting his lover, but he was certainly willing to go with this.

"Come with me," Mathis whispered. He tugged at Flynn's hand and led him into the bedroom, where they undressed each other, slow and appreciative. Flynn lay on his side and invited Mathias to lie with him.

The still-raw scars on his matelot's chest and back were hard to look at, but they were a part of him now. He was still healing. He would be for a long time, but for now, Flynn could see in his eyes how much he wanted this, how much he needed it.

Mathias tucked in close to him and lay on his back and Flynn covered him with his body, kissing him and moving over him, trying to feel all his skin at once. Mathias moaned, soft and eager, clinging to Flynn, his hardening cock pressed against him. "You… you feel so good," Mathias panted, his green eyes half closed.

"Tell me what you need, love." Flynn's hands were everywhere. His lips trailed down Mathias's throat and his lover tipped his head back, letting him, gasping for more.

"Your hand," Mathias said, stretching under him, his back arching. "Please."

"Anything you need," Flynn whispered, nibbling from Mathias's earlobe down to his shoulder. Mathias shivered. Flynn slipped his hand between them and took his lover's cock in hand, giving it a fond squeeze. Mathias sighed.

Flynn leaned over and reached under the bed for the little pot of slick that had been there, unused, since before he'd left for Northrend. He opened it and got some on his fingers, then closed it again, slathering it on Mathias to make things easier for him, letting his lover push slowly into his now slippery fist. The sound the man made caught in Flynn's chest and left him breathless. Flynn kissed him, hungry and aching, one fist around Mathias's cock and the other tangled in his hair.

Mathias groaned, shuddering now, eyes closed. "Love you." He blinked and looked up at Flynn, his arms around Flynn's back, hands on his shoulders.

Flynn kissed him again. "Let me take care of you, love." Mathias nodded, hips moving slowly as Flynn stroked him. The whole thing was getting him hard, too, and he pressed against Mathias's hip. Mathias slid a hand between them and took Flynn in hand and they pulled gently at each other, until Flynn took both of them in his fist, Mathias's fingers wrapped around his own, and stroked them both together.

His lover's breath was coming sharp and fast now, and Flynn watched for any signs that he might be in pain, but Mathias seemed all right. It was enough. After so long, the contact between them was intense and brilliant and Flynn thought, 'this is the bloke I'm going to marry'; it lodged in his chest like a bullet. He kissed Mathias and came, gasping. He heard Mathias whisper his name as Flynn panted, stilling for a moment, overcome. Catching his breath, he looked into Mathias's eyes and took up the rhythm again, though he'd let go of himself, as he was a bit too sensitive for more right then. Flynn's come was slick and sticky between them and the air between them smelled like sex and Mathias's eyes squeezed shut as he convulsed and came in Flynn's hand with a groan.

He loosed his grip, not wanting to be too much as he gentled Mathias through the storm. Tides, the man was beautiful. His. Warm and alive and Flynn's. Bloody miracle, that. He gave Mathias a few minutes to come down, let his breathing even out and his body relax. "You okay?" he asked, quiet in the stillness between them.

Mathias nodded. "I needed that. Needed you."

"Me, too." They kissed again, holding each other with sloppy hands. Neither of them cared about the mess. They could shower in a few minutes. Everything could wait but this tenderness.


	3. Complexities

They'd come at Anduin's invitation, after letting him know they had something personal they wanted to discuss with him. Flynn had brought them on his parrot, flying them up to the garden of the Keep and leaving her with one of the groundskeepers. Mathias was getting better, but stairs were still rough on his lungs. He wanted to push himself harder, but the healers were all insistent that he had to take things a little at a time. It was frustrating, but Flynn didn't let him get away with too much. "I'm the one who has to listen to you bellyache when you hurt yourself. Just do what the healers say, and I won't have to tie you to the bunk."

That, of course, led to other thoughts, none of which Mathias was going to discuss with _anyone_ just yet. Least of all Flynn Fairwind.

There were looks of surprise and words of welcome from the Keep's staff as they passed through the corridors to Anduin's private chambers. Mathias had made an effort to be properly shaved and presentable, but he still felt a bit scruffy in a loose tunic and trousers. There was nothing improper about his clothing, but he was used to being here in uniform, armed and armored, and the strangeness of it all still disturbed him.

Anduin's secretary welcomed them and showed them in to where Anduin himself awaited them. "Mathias, Flynn, it's good to see you. You're looking much better than the last time I saw you, Mathias."

"It's good to be able to get out of the house, Anduin."

Anduin offered them seats and coffee, both of which they accepted. Once they were settled, the King said, "So, what's the personal business that brings you here?"

Flynn looked at him, waiting for Mathias to speak. "In light of recent events," Mathias said, "we've decided that it would be wise to legitimize our union in the eyes of the Alliance."

Anduin raised an eyebrow.

"He means we want to get married. Because next to nobody seems to take what we have seriously," Flynn said.

"You realize you don't need my permission," Anduin told them.

Mathias nodded. "We know. But I'm sure you understand the… political issues inherent in the whole thing. The trouble we've had. The opposition we've faced."

Anduin sat back in his chair with a sigh. "Yes. I know it's been difficult for both of you. You know that you have my support, whatever you decide to do. And I also realize that if you do this, it's going to need to be public and to have my visible support behind it. The attempt on Flynn's life, inept as it was, along with the information that Renzik brought to me about the Scarlet Brotherhood, certainly suggests that there are far deeper things going on here than just Lord Romano's thwarted interest in taking control of SI:7. If this will help protect you, or reinforce your status with me, I'm certainly willing to do everything I can." 

"And that's why we're here. Because we can't just say we're getting married and do it quietly, as both of us would prefer." Mathias looked down into his coffee. "Neither of us is certain what any of this will entail. We don't know what level of exposure this will require, or what -- if anything -- is going to satisfy the more persuadable of our detractors."

"It'll have to be a matter of state," Anduin said. "Formal. Indisputable. I suspect it could be Stormwindian, Kul Tiran, or some mix of both, but it will have to be something that would be acceptable to the nobility in both kingdoms."

"It'll need to be when he's able to stand for a while, then, because from what I hear, that sort of thing takes ages," Flynn said.

Mathias nodded. "I can't be seen to show weakness in front of my enemies in a situation like that, even after what happened to me."

Anduin looked thoughtfully at the two of them. "This sort of thing takes time to plan, anyway."

"Got anybody who can help us out with that?" Flynn asked. "There has to be a Tidesage, though. I don't care what else we do, has to be blessed by a Tidesage."

Anduin chuckled. "That's entirely doable, I'm sure. Did you have one in mind?"

"Bess, of course. Bess Tidewalker. She's the _Bold Arva's_ Tidesage. She'd probably toss me overboard if I didn't let her do it." Flynn grinned. Anduin nodded.

"Who's going to _have_ to be there, regardless?" Mathias asked. "I assume there are people who will need to be accounted for."

"Naturally," Anduin said. "Myself, of course. Jaina. Genn, Mia, and Tess." Flynn's eyes went wide. "Probably Baine Bloodhoof."

"Wait," Mathias said, startled. "What?" Flynn just sat there with his mouth open, his coffee mug halfway to his lips.

"He _did_ give you that wedding cup," Anduin said, "and your explanation of Flynn as your matelot and the class issues left him with a very negative impression of some Alliance customs." Mathias nodded. He remembered how awkward that conversation had been. "Inviting him to your wedding would go a long way toward convincing him that your union was more a choice and less a necessity. If you were to go so far as to actually _use_ the cup in the ceremony, when the couple shares the wine--"

"I can't be seen as sympathetic to any of the Horde's leadership," Mathias said. "That could potentially cause a great deal of trouble with the House of Nobles."

Anduin nodded. "Yes, but it could also signal respect for our current armistice and for a personal gift from a member of the Horde Council."

Mathias buried his face in one hand. "This is going to be a circus."

"Don't insult the Darkmoon Faire," Flynn said. "That's at least fun. And far fewer rulers and members of the nobility running around making it awkward for everybody else." He looked up at Anduin. "No offense."

Anduin sighed. "We're just getting the worst of the technicalities out of the way, gentlemen. If we do it right, we can satisfy the political issues and it can still be a genuine celebration for both of you."

Mathias had his doubts.

***

Mathias was exhausted after their long discussion with the King. He and Flynn made their way to SI:7 to talk with Renzik. Again, Mathias was surprised by the greetings he received as they made their way through the compound from the stables, and the smiles and friendly comments he received from the people around them. People told him they were glad to see him, that they'd been concerned about him.

It had never been that way before. He was respected and rightly feared at work, but it seemed that his image had softened when Flynn entered his life. Even moreso since he'd nearly died. He wasn't sure that was entirely a good thing, as a little fear was actually useful in a position like his. Nonetheless, he was willing to accept the goodwill of his agents when he was still so very much under the weather.

"Boss," Renzik said, getting up from behind his desk. "I thought you weren't back for like another two or three weeks?"

Mathias gestured for him to sit. "I'm not. We're here unofficially." Flynn closed the office door behind them and the two of them sat.

"What's up? Do we need Nightwind?"

Flynn said, "We're getting married."

Renzik stared at them for a moment, eyes wide. "Oh, that is gonna be a security nightmare, not to mention a political one. You told the King yet?"

"We just left him." Mathias leaned back in the chair.

"Look, Shaw, you want my advice--"

"No, actually," Mathias said, knowing it wasn't going to be actual advice.

"Too bad. You're gettin' it anyway. Just don't. Go to Gadgetzan and make yourselves a nice Limited Corporation. You'll be happier."

Flynn brightened. "Fireworks, Mathias! Glitter!"

Mathias glared at him. "I was picking that stuff out of unmentionable places for _weeks._ No. And you know it has to be like this, and why."

"I know," Flynn said, resigned. "I'm not actually objecting. Just… fireworks?"

"We'll talk," Mathias grumbled, knowing that if Relly and Grixx were involved, there would probably be fireworks whether they were requested or not. He looked back at Renzik. "We're looking, at minimum, at the High King, the Lord Admiral, King Greymane and his family, and probably High Chieftain Bloodhoof in attendance, in addition to some of the House of Nobles."

"Oof," Renzik grunted.

"Yeah," Flynn sighed. "Oof. I was not expecting it to be _this_ complicated. I'm sorry, I just wanted--"

"Hey," Renzik said, "it's okay. We'll deal with it. Do we know when?"

"Sometime after the New Year," Mathias said. "We have some lead time. Winter's Veil is coming up soon, and Anduin was insistent that it couldn't be before the end of the year."

Renzik nodded. "Good enough."

"How much progress is being made on the Scarlet Brotherhood matter?" Mathias asked, hoping his second would give him an answer. He was getting more tired the longer he was out, but he was curious and the situation had involved him. He really hoped he'd be ready to be back at work in two weeks. He desperately needed to build himself back up again. They might not send him into the field, but he still had to be ready to deal with anything that might come up here.

Renzik shook his head. "Some, but you're not working yet and I'm not gonna have the entire Healer's Hall and the King coming down on my head by giving you the report before you're parked behind your desk again. Got it?"

Disappointed but unsurprised, Mathias nodded. "Yes, Shiv, I've got it." He was not, at least for the moment, the authority here, and it grated on him.

"We're just lookin' out for you, Shaw. Congratulations, by the way. Is this a state secret at the moment, or can anybody know?"

"You can tell Rell and anyone likely to be on the security detail, but it shouldn't go beyond that. We don't even know what the ceremony's going to look like yet." 

"Or the guest list," Flynn muttered. He sighed and looked over at Mathias, taking his hand. "I know you said this was going to be complicated. I just didn't realize how bad it was going to be."

"We'll get through it," Mathias reassured him. "It's going to be a logistical nightmare, but once it's over, it's over. No one will have a single legitimate criticism left."

"So you're basically saying all of our critics will be bastards." Flynn chuckled. 

The fact that both of them technically fell into that category didn't really matter. Mathias sighed and rolled his eyes. "Yes. That's exactly what I'm saying."

Renzik raised an eyebrow at them, bracing his elbows on the desk and leaning his chin on one hand. "You two taking the comedy act on the road, or you done yet?"

"We're done, I think," Flynn said. "Mostly we just wanted to give you a heads up about this. Himself's got his secretary on the details for most of it. You should consult with that lot. Apparently it's happening at the Keep."

"Makes sense, given the bit of a guest list you've already dropped on me. No place else really secure enough. Me and Nightwind'll deal with it." He looked at Mathias. "You got anything else, or do I have to chase you outta here with a stick? You look exhausted."

Arguing wasn't going to gain him anything except prodding from Renzik and cajoling from Flynn, so Mathias rose. "We're leaving, don't worry." Flynn rose with him.

"Come on, love. Do you want to stop by the Oink and Squeak for dinner tonight?"

Mathias thought about it. He was tired, yes, but it might be nice to have dinner on the way home. There was a stablemaster not far from the inn where Flynn could leave his parrot. "Dinner out sounds good." He knew Flynn wouldn't have to cook and there'd be no cleanup after, which was another plus.

"Right, then. Thanks for everything, Shiv." Flynn rested a hand at the small of Mathias's back; it was warm and reassuring.

"No problem. Good luck, guys. I mean it."

Mathias was even more tired by the time they got to the inn, but he was committed to dinner, now; he wasn't going to complain about the exhaustion or the edge of pain, though Flynn gave him a concerned look once they were at a table. "Are you sure you're up for this?" he asked. "I can still cook something if you want to just go home."

"No," Mathias said. "I'll be fine. If I'm not having to hold up my end of a strategic conversation about a state wedding, I should be able to stay focused enough to eat until we get home."

"Okay," Flynn said, nodding, though he looked doubtful. Mathias knew he'd prefer to push for more caution but he was pleased that Flynn tended to respect his decisions unless his lover felt that he'd truly overstepped his capabilities.

The Pig and Whistle was cheerful and crowded. The wall of noise was, in itself, a bit of a stress on Mathias's system, but it was good to be somewhere interesting for a change.

They'd ordered their food and started eating when Mathias noticed someone across the room pointing a S.E.L.F.I.E. at them. A moment later, he realized it was Vera VanDooble and he sighed, turning away and holding one arm up to obscure his face.

"What's wrong?" Flynn said, suddenly alert. He looked around and spotted VanDooble, his eyes narrowing. "Do you want me to go after her?" She vanished out the door as though helhounds were on her tail.

Mathias sighed and shook his head. "No. Actually, it's probably best to just leave her alone with this one. If _Stormwind This Week_ publishes the photos, it should stop the lingering rumors that I died. Sitting at the Pig and Whistle eating dinner is hardly the behavior they'd expect from me if I were actually dead."

"Not if they thought you were undead," Flynn said, his voice dark and suspicious as he turned back to Mathias.

Mathias's fork stopped between his plate and his mouth and he stared at Flynn. "That's… disturbing."

Flynn looked back to where VanDooble had gone. "Might be a good idea to have you out walking about a bit more in public in the next couple of weeks, since you need to get out and walk anyway." He settled back over his dinner. "And I hate to say it, but maybe giving that lunatic an interview might be a useful idea, as well."

Mathias wasn't sure whether Flynn's idea was appalling or actual genius. "I'll take that under advisement." If the Scarlet Brotherhood was involved, and they hated the undead and for some reason considered Anduin a traitor to humanity, the madness might extend to deciding that he'd actually died of his injuries, been raised, and was still working for the King. Having people see him walking around, alive and obviously _not_ a risen corpse could potentially head off some sort of new, even more insane conspiracy theory.

Light. As if his life needed even more insanity.

"I'll talk to Shiv tomorrow," Flynn said.


	4. Mathias Shaw is Not Undead

Flynn trotted up the stairs to Renzik's office, lost in thought. He nodded absently to the agents who greeted him on the way in. Tapping on Renzik's closed door, he waited for the goblin to acknowledge the request.

A few minutes later, Rell opened the door and eyed him. "Flynn?"

"Is Shiv available? If yes, you're going to want to hear this, too."

Rell looked back over his shoulder, then moved aside and ushered Flynn into the room. 

Renzik looked up. "What is it, Fairwind."

Flynn flipped a chair around and dropped into it, legs astraddle, his arms resting on the top of the back. "So these Scarlet Brotherhood blokes, they hate the undead."

Puzzled, Renzik nodded. "Yeah, they ain't too fond of the deaders." He leaned on the desk. "What's on your mind?"

Flynn sighed. "You know that there are rumors that Mathias died."

Renzik and Rell both nodded. "Persistent ones," Rell admitted.

"Last night we stopped at the Oink and Squeak for some dinner on the way home. That gossip columnist was there."

"VanDooble?" Renzik asked. Flynn nodded. "I thought she was mostly staying away from you guys now?"

"She had been, but she was there last night and took a S.E.L.F.I.E. of us. I offered to go after her, but Mathias let it pass. Said it might stop the rumors about him dying."

"Yeah," Renzik said. "And?"

Flynn looked the goblin in the eyes. "What if those rumors are a part of this whole Scarlet Brotherhood thing?"

Rell and Renzik looked at each other, horrified by Flynn's implication. "By Elune," Rell muttered. He gestured to Renzik. "You need to show him what we've found."

"Fairwind," Renzik said, reaching into a desk drawer, "your brain is a scary place, but damn, that lines up with the lunacy of _this_ shit." 

He slid some pamphlets across the desk to Flynn, who picked them up and gave them a look. There were four in all. He'd seen the one about Greymane before, but the other three -- they were screaming insanity. Anduin, _in league with_ Sylvanas Windrunner? Some Princess named Calia Menethil? And Anduin murdering Menethil and _then_ wanting to marry her?

"What in the Tidemother's name is this?" Flynn asked, stunned. "If this is what the Scarlet Brotherhood is spouting, then --"

"The rumors about Shaw being dead could be a time bomb, waiting for him to show his face again, so they can claim he's a deader, too," Renzik said.

The thought hit Flynn like a punch, and he huffed and shook his head, a little dizzy. "By the Tides," he muttered. "I told him last night, maybe giving that VanDooble lass an interview would be a good idea. Now I'm even more convinced of it."

Renzik and Rell both nodded. "That's startin' to look like decent damage control," Renzik said. "I thought those rumors were just rumors, the same kind of idiot shit you hear in the streets all the time. Fuck, this goes deep."

"We'll need to intensify our efforts to find the sources of this Scarlet Brotherhood madness within Stormwind and the House of Nobles," Rell said.

"I need to tell Mathias," Flynn sighed. "Somebody needs to find VanDooble and set a time for her and Mathias to meet. Preferably someplace public, where people can have eyes on them. I'll be there with him, of course, but… Tides. This is madness."

"I'll get on that right now," Rell said, rising. 

Flynn looked up at him. "In the next day or two, if you please." He looked back at Renzik. "Somebody should tell Anduin about this. I don't want any of it to come as a shock to Himself."

Renzik nodded. "I'll take it up with him after today's briefing, and then I need to send somebody to put the screws to Romano, find out who in the void was pulling his strings."

"Right then," Flynn said, getting up. "I'm off. I need to go talk to Mathias."

***

Mathias's jaw dropped when Flynn told him what he'd learned from Renzik and Rell. " _Please_ tell me you're kidding," he moaned, his face buried in both hands.

"Nope. Sadly, not this time." He plopped down on the couch next to Mathias and put an arm over his shoulders. "Rell's going to make you an appointment to talk to VanDooble, preferably somewhere public. I'll be with you, and SI:7 will have eyes on us at all times. You, though? You're going nowhere without me until we figure out what in the abyss is going on."

"How is this my life?" Mathias grumbled. He sighed and looked up at Flynn. "This is… I can't even come up with words for how ridiculous this is."

"At least it takes your mind off the politics of getting married?" Flynn said, uncertain.

Mathias moaned again, resisting the urge to tear at his hair. He sighed. "I'm not sure that helps."

"Probably not," Flynn admitted with a shrug. "Rell should be back to us pretty soon when he's set the interview with VanDooble. I'd guess he'll be here in a few hours. He just has to find her."

"When does _Stormwind This Week_ go to press?" Mathias asked.

Flynn shook his head. "No idea. Grixx is the one who buys it all the time. I only hear about it when there's something really over the top in it. The _Arva_ won't be back until tomorrow afternoon. I was planning to go meet them at the docks. Do you want to come with me?"

The idea of having more people around that he could depend on and that he genuinely felt safe with seemed good. "I'd like that," he said. "What time?"

Flynn shrugged. "Depends on the weather, but probably sometime around four bells."

"Two o'clock, then?"

"Aye. But we should be able to see them come in from here. I've got my spyglass. We can watch her approach."

Mathias had done it himself when Flynn was at sea, haunting the window facing the harbor and looking out over the water toward the horizon for the _Arva's_ sails and Flynn's crossed parrots ensign. "Sounds good." He got up and went to the window, looking out over the city and the sea. Flynn moved to stand behind him, wrapping his arms around Mathias's body. Flynn's cheek pressed against Mathias's and Flynn brushed a kiss over his stubbled skin.

"We'll get through this." Flynn's voice was soft and right in his ear. Mathias shivered at the flow of his breath. "You're not alone, love. Neither of us is alone anymore."

Mathias wrapped his arms over Flynn's and held on.

***

The appointment with Vera VanDooble was set for ten that morning, at the Blue Recluse. Safe enough, the staff known, and ample opportunity to place SI:7 agents around the place. Mathias wouldn't be exposed, Flynn would be with him, and VanDooble would enter after they did. He loathed the idea of giving the woman an interview, but Flynn had been right -- tossing meat to the sharks in the form of a tabloid article would get the word out to the general populace far more surely than any royal proclamation, and with less suspicion of the source.

He and Flynn waited at a table on the balcony; it was reasonably well lit, considering the location. Mathias wanted to be seen clearly, so that there was no question as to his actual state of health. It wasn't great, but it certainly wasn't dead, either. VanDooble would probably want some S.E.L.F.I.E.s and Mathias was, reluctantly, prepared to let her take them.

'It's a propaganda operation,' he reminded himself sternly. He'd organized them before, he'd simply never been at the center of one like this.

VanDooble entered the Recluse cautiously, looking around, before she spotted them. She looked up toward their table and met his eyes and he nodded, acknowledging her. Flynn sat next to him, arms crossed over his chest, looking grim and intimidating. "I know I'm the one who suggested this," Flynn said, "but neither of us has to like it."

"We just have to get through it," Mathias muttered.

VanDooble ascended the stairs through the late morning customers and approached their table. Mathias gestured to an empty seat. She came closer and stared at him, looking him over carefully. "Spymaster Shaw."

"Miss VanDooble. Please, have a seat."

She sat, eyeing Flynn suspiciously, then turned her attention back to Mathias. "I was… shocked when I saw you yesterday at the Pig and Whistle," she said. "I'd… I'd heard some very disturbing rumors. I wasn't sure what to think when your agent contacted me."

Mathias sighed. "Any rumors you may have heard about my death -- or undeath, for that matter -- are, as you can see, entirely exaggerated."

VanDooble nodded. "I can't say that you look terribly well, but you don't look… undead, either." Mathias tried not to react as she went on. "Dark shadows under the eyes, a bit gaunt, paler than you were." She shook her head. "But how would anyone know that's not an illusion?"

Mathias was unwilling to bury his face in his hands in front of this woman. "Find a worgen. I'm sure any one of them would be happy to tell you if I stank of undeath, Miss VanDooble, and then rip my throat out while they were at it. I assume any druid in their cat form would be able to do so, as well."

"Ah," she said, nodding. "Yes, there's that." She looked around at the people below. "Excuse me for just a moment." Flynn and Mathias looked at each other as she rose and hurried down the stairs to the main floor of the Recluse.

"Suspicious, isn't she?" Flynn said.

"Best to deal with it this way," Mathias told him, already sick of the whole thing. She came back a few minutes later with a kaldorei Druid in tow, resplendent in her leather armor. Mathias sighed. "Has she explained what's going on?" Mathias asked.

"Master Shaw," the Druid said. "I wasn't quite certain what to make of the request. It seems… irregular."

"Just get on with it." Light, he wished he were anywhere else. Almost anywhere else.

With a nod, the Druid shifted into her cat form. With a cautious glance at Flynn, she made a production of sniffing Mathias, and Flynn for good measure. Probably for the best, Mathias thought. Get _that_ potential weirdness out of the way, as well. After a moment, the Druid shifted back. "There's nothing out of the ordinary here," she said. "Though that one," she gestured toward Flynn, "smells rather strongly of fish. Most Kul Tirans do, in my experience." She looked at Mathias. "It's good to see you about again, Master Shaw. I was in the Mage Tower when Captain Fairwind brought you in. No one thought you'd survive your injuries. It would have been a very dark day for the Alliance."

"Thank you," Mathias said. The kaldorei bowed and retreated. He turned his gaze back to VanDooble. "Does that satisfy you that I'm not wearing some kind of illusion spell? That I'm as human today as I was the day you interrupted me at the Pig and Whistle?"

VanDooble sat again. "What actually happened to you the day you were injured?" she asked. "I was in the Mage Quarter when I heard the commotion, but you were already gone by the time I got up into the tower. There was a trail of blood from the portal entry point down nearly to the outside door."

"He got run through with a kvaldir javelin," Flynn said. "It was poisoned and cursed, and it took the King himself to save Mathias's life. He'd lost a massive amount of blood and he spent nearly a week in the Healer's Hall before they let him come home." Flynn's voice was dispassionate but it was apparent the memory still left him shaken.

"That sounds… really horrifying, actually." 

Mathias thought he saw a twinge of sympathy in her face. Best to play to that. "I don't remember any of it," he said, which was the absolute truth. He'd heard Flynn shout and then there was nothing but pain and darkness until he woke in the Healer's Hall the next day. "It's... " He took a deep breath. Thankfully, his chest didn't twinge. "Recovery from something like this is a long, difficult process." He looked down at the table. "I won't be going back to field work for quite some time, even after I return to my office." Flynn reached out and rested a hand on his thigh, squeezing gently, reassuring.

VanDooble looked at Flynn. "Captain Fairwind, I have a couple of questions for you, if you would be so kind."

Flynn looked to Mathias, who nodded. If the questions weren't too intrusive, there didn't seem a reason not to cooperate. "Depends on the questions," Flynn said, his eyes narrowed. It looked like he would _not_ be entertaining questions about Kul Tiran anatomy today.

"Everyone says you used to be a pirate. Is that true?"

It was a matter of public record, as was Flynn's pardon. A harmless question. "It is, but I walked away from that years ago. I was given a pardon by the Lord Admiral in recognition of my services to Kul Tiras and to the Alliance during the war. I've paid for the things I've done."

"How did you two meet?" she asked.

"Mathias was working in Boralus," Flynn told her. "He came in with Wyrmbane on the _Wind's Redemption._ I ran azerite shipments for the Alliance for most of the war; we met because I had to deal with all the Alliance champions pretty much every day. He'd send 'em over and I'd send 'em back with the stuff. Volatile, azerite. Dangerous cargo with a very high risk of blowing my entire ship out of the water, and we had to face the Horde and whatever else turned up on the islands." Flynn looked at Mathias. "He caught my eye long before we were ever friends."

Mathias looked at him, surprised. "I did?"

Flynn smiled at him and chuckled quietly. "You did, love. Before Nazmir. I never thought you'd look back, though."

VanDooble raised an eyebrow. "Nazmir?"

Mathias shook his head. "That's private, I'm afraid." Not to mention classified. But he had a few questions of his own about Flynn's statement. They'd have to wait.

She turned to Mathias again. "What was it like, hearing rumors that you were dead? That you'd been… turned?" VanDooble shivered.

"Disconcerting." He still found it so. "While I can understand why people might have thought I'd died, after what happened at the Mage Tower, I don't understand the rumors that I'd been brought back like that." He did understand, given the context of the Scarlet Brotherhood insanity, but she didn't need to know that. "Who could possibly wish for something like that to happen to anyone?" And that was the question at the heart of all of this -- who was responsible for the rumors spreading in Stormwind? And why? "At this point, I'm hoping to return to the office sometime within the next three weeks."

"Just in time for Winter's Veil," she said, smiling. Mathias nodded. "A lovely gift for the season, I'm sure."

"Well, it will certainly please me." Mathias wanted the whole thing to just be over. How much more was this woman going to talk?

"I'd really like --" she said, pulling her S.E.L.F.I.E. camera out of her bag,"-- to take a couple of photos, if you'd allow it. Demonstrate to our readership that you're alive and relatively well after your ordeal."

That, he'd been expecting, and he nodded. "Very well."

"Captain Fairwind, can I get you in the picture, too?"

"Mathias?" Flynn asked.

He didn't see any harm in it and nodded. Flynn smiled and scooted closer, putting an arm around Mathias's shoulders and leaning in close. He couldn't help smiling at that, and VanDooble snapped a couple of shots.

"You really make a rather adorable couple," VanDooble said. "No one seems to know very much about you, Master Shaw. You're known to be one of the King's advisors, and his father's, and your association with SI:7 and the Assassin's Guild has been a matter of public record for a very long time, but your personal life --"

"Is off limits," Mathias said, narrowly restraining the urge to snap at her. "I assure you, it's a matter of national security. The fact that my relationship with Captain Fairwind is public knowledge is more risk than I'm comfortable with."

"No one would have imagined that a man with your reputation would end up with --"

"A Kul Tiran ex-pirate?" Flynn growled.

She leaned back slightly in her chair. "Well, in so many words, yes."

"Bunch of bloody mainlanders," Flynn grumbled.

"Not so much the Kul Tiran part, but the ex-pirate," she explained.

Mathias sighed. "I'm an _assassin_ , with the _Assassin's Guild,_ " he said, slowly, hoping at least one occurrence of the word made it through her skull.

"Well, _yes,_ but everyone assumes the Assassin's Guild acts in the interests of the Alliance. _Pirates_ are really better known for raping and--"

" _Not on my bloody ship!_ " Flynn roared, and Mathias had to grab him with both hands to keep him from launching himself across the table at her; he ended up slamming into the table himself with a _whuff_ that knocked the wind out of him and hurt like a son of a bitch. From the corner of his eye, Mathias could see his agents tense, reaching for daggers.

For a second, there was a silence inside the Blue Recluse so profound you could have heard a wisp of straw hit the ground. A moment later, Flynn's attention was on him, along with both the man's hands. "Mathias? Oh, Tides, did I hurt you? Fuck."

Mathias, breathless and holding his chest with one arm, wheezed, "I'd advise you to change the subject, VanDooble."

Flynn glared at her. "Get out," he snarled. "We're done. You've had your interview. Go, before I introduce your gut to my cutlass for calling me a rapist."

VanDooble, trembling and pale as a sheet, got to her feet and ran. 

Flynn sat down again, his hands still moving on Mathias, worry in his eyes. "I'm sorry. Tides, I didn't mean to hurt you. Are you all right?"

Mathias, still a little breathless, nodded. "Fine," he said. "Gimme a minute."

The three SI:7 agents in the Recluse converged on them. "Master Shaw?" the gnome asked. She hovered anxiously by his side. The other two men, humans, stood close, keeping watch. Mathias nodded again. The pain was receding. "Really, I'm fine. It was just a bit of a shock." He looked up at Flynn. "I understand why you reacted like you did, but that was probably not the best possible response."

Flynn rested his forehead against Mathias's temple. "I'm so sorry. If you want me to go talk to her at some point -- _not_ today, because I'm bloody furious -- I'll do it. I know we need her to put that information out, and that it's best if she doesn't hate either of us, but damn." He sighed.

Mathias shook his head. "I'll send Rell. Probably best if it's not either of us just yet. That… wasn't entirely a disaster, but you know I hate dealing with this sort of thing."

The gnome -- Agent Spanglewrench -- shook her head. "SI:7 isn't meant to operate in the light of day like this, but we deal with situations as they come up. We'll make sure things work out, Master Shaw."

Flynn rose and offered Mathias a hand up. "Let me take you home until it's time to meet the _Arva,_ love. I imagine you'd rather deal with me being an idiot there than here in public."

Mathias let Flynn support him for a moment until the pain faded. "You're not always an idiot, Flynn, but when you are…" 

Flynn gave him an apologetic smile. "At least I'm your idiot."

"That you are," Mathias said. He smiled a pained half-smile as they made their way toward the door.


End file.
